Adjustable bracket for holding small fixtures



July 28, 1959 Q s, SAPEESE 2,896,895

v ADJUSTABLE BRACKET FOR HOLDING SMALL FIXTURES Filed Nov. 18, 1957 y 2 sheets-Snead al4- HI" l ATTK July 28, 1959 D. s. SP1-:ESE 2,896,895

ADJUSTABLE BRACKET FOR HOLDING SMALL FIXTURES Filed Nov'. 18. '1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fu: "5; f

INV ENTOR.

D/V/fl S. SPL-"55 BY 4MM WNW United States Patent() ADJUSTABLE BRACKET FOR HOLDTNG SMALL FIXTURES Daniel S.Speese, Detroit, Mich.

Application November 18, 1957, Serial No. 697,258

3 Claims. (Cl. 24S- 226) This invention relates to adjustable brackets for supporting small fixtures, and particularly relates to such brackets as have an arched formation to straddle a horizontal edge of a wall.

An object of the invention is to comprise an arched bracket of two complementary members having legs to straddle a bath tub wall.

A further object is to adapt said members for relative selective adjustment to accommodate said legs to walls of varying thickness.

A further object is to provide means to releasably maintain said members in positions of selective adjustment.

These and various other objects are attained in the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the f accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, showing the device mounted on a bath tub wall.

i Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l,I also showing a bath tub wall.

' Fig. 4 is an end view on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

Fig.' 5 is a vertical cross-section on the line 5-5 of Fi 2.

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

In these views the reference characters 1 and Z designate the outer and inner complementary members of a bracket having a substantially arched formation to straddle and engage the wall A of a bath tub. The outer member 1 has legs 4, rigidly interconnected in spaced parallel relationship by a cross bar 5 terminally bearing lugs 6 received in said legs. Screws 7 are received in the lugs to secure the legs to said cross-bar. At their lower ends, each leg is formed, at its edge adjacent to the outer surface of the wall A, with an arcuately curved abutment 8 to engage such surface (Figs. 2 and 3). Lugs 9 on said lower ends, projecting oppositely to said abumients, are downwardly notched at 10. A roller 11 for carrying a roll of toilet paper (not shown) has its end portions 12 reduced in diameter to be received in the lnotches.

The roller 11 is retained in position by a latch member comprising arms 13, mounted between the legs 4 on pivot elements 14 engaged in the legs. Such arms are joined at their ends nearest the bath tub wall by a cross member 16, and at their opposite ends, each is formed with a notch 17. Thus, the notched ends of the arms 13 may be swung downwardly about the pivotal axis of the latch member to engage the reduced end portions 12 of the roller 11 and retain them in the notches 10. Obviously, upward swinging of said notched ends about said axis will disengage the notches 15 to afford removal of the roller (Fig. 3, in dash lines). The upward and downward extent of said swinging movement are respectively limited by pins 18 and 19 projecting from one of said legs.

Arms Z extend from the upper ends of the legs 4 substantially transversely thereto, to horizontally surmount the bath tub wall, each such arm bears a ange 2 21 along its upper edge, and each is formed with a horizontally elongated slot22.

The inner member 2, also has spaced, parallel legs 23. AA cross-bar 24 is formed at each end with lugs 25 which are received in such legs. Screws 26 engage in said lugs to secure the legs to said cross-bar (Fig. 6). The lower ends of such legs are formed with arcuate abutments 27 to engage the inner surface of a bath tub wall (Figs. 2 and 3). Such inner surface is usually downwardlyr inclined, and may be further engaged b y an end of a rectangular bracev 28, having an elongated slotv 29, and secured to and beneath said cross-basl` 24 by a screw 30, for adjustment longitudinally of said slot 29.

Arms 31 extend from the upper ends of the legs 23 to respectively have a sliding, lapped relation to and between the respective arms 20 of the outer member 1. Each arm 31 is formed with a ilange 32 corresponding to the aforesaid flanges 21 on said arms 20, and underlying the latterin close sliding Contact therewith Vto maintain the horizontal relationship of the arms 20 and 31. The latter arms, too, are formed with horizontally elongated slots 33.

A bridging member 34 is extended between the arms 31 and has at each end a relatively short key 35.- The slots 22 and 33 in the respective lapping arms 20 and 31 intercommunicate to slidably receive such keys, which are tapped to receive screws 35. By this means, the members 1 and 2 may be slid toward and from one another to be adjusted to accommodate bath tub walls of different thicknesses, and such adjustments may be maintained by turning the screws 36 into said extensions 35 to clamp the arms against the shoulders 37 at the base of said extensions.

It will be noted that the bridging member 34 is formed with downwardly projecting abutments 41 which rest upon the upper surface of the bath tub wall A.

A complementary advantage to that of adjustability of the bracket for use on bath tub walls of different thicknesses, is found in the above described abutments 41 in the bridging element, and those 8, 27 found on the legs 4, 23. Such protuberances provide a minimum number of contact points to support the bracket on a wall. This feature reduces the possibility of marring the nish of a bath tub, and further adapts the device for a wider range of types of tubs, many of which modernly, are formed with slightly ornamental contours extending longitudinally of the bath tub wall. Such contours, absent said abutments, might cause the legs of the bracket to engage the wall surfaces at points higher than the location of the abutments with a consequent loss of stability. The adjustable rectangular brace 28, guards against dislodgement of the bracket, if a person, on entering or leaving a tub, should lean his weight upon a soap dish 38 rigidly surmounting spaced parallel supporting members 39, notched at 40 for removable engagement upon the crossbar 23.

What I claim is:

l. A bracket for supporting bath room ixtures, such bracket comprising an inner and an outer member, each lncluding a pair of downwardly extending, laterally spaced legs `formed with arcuate abutments for engagement with a wall of a bath tub, a pair of arms each respectively horizontally extended from the upper end of a respective leg, said pairs fof legs being spaced to straddle abath tub wall, each leg and associated arm being formed of sheet material and occupying a substantially vertical plane, the arms of each member extending toward and slidably lapping the corresponding arm of the other member, each arm being formed with a horizontally elongated slot, such slots being registrable with each other, a bridging member extending between the pairs of lapping arms and bearing a key on each end thereof, said keys respectively engaging in the slots of said lapping arms and guiding said arms in sliding travel to selective spaced positions of said pairs of legs, means for clamping said arms to the respective ends of said bridging element to maintain such positions, said bridging element having a plurality of downwardly extending lugs providing the sole support for said bracket upon the upper surface of a bath tub wall, said bridging element being adjustable to seat said lugs on an arcuately contoured surface.

2. A bracket as set forth in claim 1, each arm of one member bearing a flange projecting transversely to the plane of said arm and slidably engaging a similar ange formed on the respectively lapping arm of the other member whereby the horizontal relationship of the lapped arms is positively maintained.

3. A bracket asset forth in claim 2, a brace rigidly interconnecting the legs of the inner member, and means adjustably carried by said brace for engagement with an inwardly sloping inner surface of a bath tub wall.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,142,263 Bentz Jan. 3, 1939 2,584,006 Finger Jan. 29, 1952 2,709,563 Starkey May 3l, 1955 2,714,728 Bloch Aug. 9, 1955 2,807,029 Armstrong Sept; 24, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 295,556 Switzerland Mar. 1, 1954 

